Judge Issues Formal Arrest Warrant for Detained Salameh

On Monday, a Lebanese judge issued an arrest warrant for former central bank chief Riad Salameh after he was interrogated about an embezzlement case, according to a judicial official. Salameh, 74, who has led the central bank for thirty years, faces multiple allegations including embezzlement, money laundering, and tax evasion, both in Lebanon and internationally.

Salameh has consistently denied all accusations against him. After a two-and-a-half-hour interrogation session, the investigating judge decided to issue an arrest warrant for Salameh, stated the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The judge has scheduled another session on Thursday to continue the interrogation.

This arrest warrant transitions Salameh from provisional detention to formal arrest, suggesting that the judge’s suspicions have intensified. Last Tuesday marked the first time Lebanese authorities provisionally detained Salameh following an inquiry into over $40 million allegedly embezzled, which a judicial source claimed was distinct from other ongoing investigations.

The next day, Lebanon’s financial prosecutor began legal actions against Salameh concerning the misappropriation of public funds, alongside charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering.

Outside Beirut’s Justice Palace on Monday, a small group of protesters attempted to confront a vehicle convoy believed to be transporting Salameh, with some hitting the windows and shouting accusations of theft.

A statement from Salameh’s office on Friday declared his continued cooperation with the Lebanese judiciary throughout and after his tenure. Salameh, who also holds French nationality, has been a central figure in discussions about Lebanon’s economic crisis, which started in late 2019 and has been described by the World Bank as one of the most severe in recent history.

Following the interrogation, Salameh was returned to the detention facility where he has been held recently. In the past, Germany and France have issued arrest warrants for Salameh on charges including money laundering and fraud, although Germany later retracted its warrant. Last August, the United States, Canada, and Britain jointly imposed sanctions on him.

Salameh, who stepped down at the end of July last year, maintains that his wealth originates from his private investments and his former position at the U.S. investment firm Merrill Lynch, arguing that he has been made a scapegoat for Lebanon’s financial downfall.